Impeoved belt-coupling



VE f/yfz N4 PETERS, PHOTOLITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. C.

@einen taten atnt @frn ELI THAYER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters .Patent No. 61,118, dated January 8, 1867,.

IMPROVED BELT-COUPLING.

dlp rlgchnle referat tu iu tlgrse ttcts ntcut mit uniting niet nf tige same.'

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCER:

Be it known that I, ELI THAYER, of the city, county, and Sta-tc of New York,have Ainvented a new and improved Method of Fastening Belts; and I dohereby declare that the following is afn'll and exact description ofmy invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of`reference marked thereon. i

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing a clasp and key that when the ends of the belt are passed through the clasp they are rmly held in their place by a key or wedge placed between that portion of them surrounded by the clasp.

To enable others skilled in the art'to make and use my invention, I proceed to give a full description of its construction and mode of operation. I

Figure 1 represents the clasp or band through which the ends of the belt are passed.

Figure 2 represents the key or wcdgeto be placed between the ends o'f the belt and partly or wholly within the clasp. p

Figure 3 represents a vertical section between the two ends of the clasp, of the clasp key, and belt.

v.The clasp is made of metal, and ofgreight according to the size or width of the belt .to which it is to be applied, being about one ounce for every inch in` the lwidth of the belt. The space between the sides of the clasp should be sullcient to allow the ends of the belt to be passed through them easily. The lower face of the clasp, as shown in fig. 1, is surrounded by or widened into a flange, for the purpose of giving it strength, while the upper face, als'seen in the. same figure, shows the sides diminished in thickness to a knife edge by the outer and inner bevel.l The key is ofsuch length and thickness as to allow it to pass through the clasp parallel with the sides of the same. The angles made by the sides of the key with each other must be determined by the angle made by the inner surfaces of the 'sides of the clasp with each other. The key may be made of'metal, wood, leather, or other suitable substance, or may be one or both ends ofthe belt bent over and turned inward, so as to act as a. wedge or fastener.

From the figures of the accompanying drawings, and from the above description, it will be readily seen that when the ends of the belt are inserted in or passed through the clasp, as shown in tig. 3, and the key inserted between them, they will be held lirmly in their place, and more firmly -in proportion to the power applied to draw the key into or through the clasp. This method of fastening belts will be of great use in factories and machine shops, since in this way a slack belt can be tightened in one minute, while by the ordinary method of lacingor hooks the same work would require an hour. rlhe belt fastened in this way is entire and uninjured, while by the other methods it is weakened by numerous holes. The length of the clasps used should be a little lessthan the width of the belts, so that they may pass over cone pulleys and through shippcrs" without coming in contact with them.

Having now described its construction and mode of operation, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

The key, as shown in lig. 2, in combination with the clasp and belt, as shown in figs. 1 and 3.

` ELI THAYER. Witnesses:

Taos. D. JAMES, N. W. Hn1LBonN.- 

